Eligibility and criteria

You need to be a well-known or notable food company that can satisfy the welfare criteria below, either as a current policy or on a five year commitment basis.

There are three types of award available:

1. Good Sow Commendation for meeting the welfare critieria for sows
2. Good Pig Commendation for meeting the welfare critieria for meat pigs
3. Good Pig Award for meeting the welfare critiera for both sows and meat pigs

You can apply for a Good Pig Award in four different food categories:

• Fresh pork
• Fresh bacon, gammon and sausage
• Cured and cooked hams and sliced meats
• Further processed or ingredient

Welfare criteria for sows:

1. No confinement (sow stalls) during the dry period.
2. No confinement during lactation (farrowing crates) – you must have an active monitoring/development programme for lowering pre-wean mortality.
3. Provision of adequate manipulable material and bedding throughout life.

Welfare criteria for meat pigs:

1. No tail docking  -  you must have an active monitoring programme and contingency plan for the incidence of tail biting.
2. No teeth clipping/grinding – you must have an active monitoring programme to ensure low facial scarring and udder damage.
3. No surgical castration.
4. Provision of adequate manipulable material and bedding throughout life.

Adoption of Humane Slaughter Systems for Pigs

Every award applicant is required to sign a Statement of Intent to:

• Actively press your suppliers, and give further encouragement to government, to find humane alternatives to high concentration CO2 stunning, as a matter of urgency;
• Support the call for the use of high concentrations of CO2 for the killing of pigs to be legally prohibited, and new, humane systems to be developed and commercially available to replace the use of high concentrations of CO2 by no later than 1^st January 2024;
• To be prepared to invest in more humane alternatives when commercially available.

If you are a retailer, we will assume you are entering on the basis of your own-label pig meat in the above food categories, EXCLUDING any branded pig meat lines you sell.

Companies can apply via their engagement with the Food Business team and on completion of an application form signed at Director level.

Where an application is made on a commitment basis, Compassion will remain in contact with award winners over the commitment period, to assess progress made and provide continued support. 

Click here to view the information sheets that support the Good Pig Award criteria.

When you apply for an award, we need to know the following information:

1. How many sows and gilts are covered by your current or future policy?
   This information allows us to calculate how many sows will benefit each year from your commitment.
2. How many meat pigs (or kg pig meat) are covered by your current or future policy?
   This information allows us to calculate how many meat pigs will benefit each year from your commitment.
3. How do you audit your pig supply or how do you plan to audit it to ensure that it complies with the award criteria?
   E.g. Contract with your supplier, other…
4. Please add any additional information that you would like to share with us, especially the reasons why you want to apply for an award.
   E.g. Why have you chosen to change your current meat pig meat supply policy? Has this change been motivated by your customers?…

If you would like to find out more, please contact the Food Business Team today.